Circular knitting machine



Oct. 13, 1931. E SplERs 1,827,677

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 14, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l llllillllll'llllllllIl!illlIIIlIllllllluuumhnm mm...

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Oct. 13, 1931. E; SPH-:Rs

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 14, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 13, 1931. E. SPH-:Rs

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 14,' 1929 5 sheets-sheet 3 Oct. 13, 1931. E, SplERS 1,827,677

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 14, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Panarea oci. 13, 1931' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEST 821338, 0I ENGLAND, lASSIGNOR, T0 WILLIAM SPIEBS LIMITED, 0l' LEICESTEB, IBNGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY Application led .Tune `14,

This invention relates to circular knitting machines of the double end to end or co-.axial needle cylinder type, and has for its object to improve machines of this kind whereby their capacity for producing patterned fabric` in a great variety is increased.

In order that the invention may be readily understood reference will be made in the following description to the accompanying drawin wherein I have disclosed several em odiments. Y

In said drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation of a circular knit-I of one form of pattern mechanism employed according to the invention.

Figure 5 is a sectional side elevation of.`

part of the machine head with part of the said mechanism associated therewith.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a jack em loyed in the said pattern mechanism;

igure 7 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 4 viewed in the direction of the arrow in that figure.

Figure 8 is a sectional side elevation of a modified form of the pattern mechanism.

Figure 9 is a detail view of a further modification.

Figure 10 shows examples of butt formations on the backs employed in the aforesaid pattern mechanisms.

Figure 11 is a developed view of the cam systems of. a superposed needle cylinder machine adapted to the production of purl fabric.

The invention is concerned with vthe application to a circular knitting machine of the double end-to-end needle cylinder type ofv pattern mechanism of the type compush ing a rotar needle selecting device equipped withmova le elements'for selecting needles to vary the function thereof, and means for moving said elements automatically to vary ma. smi no. amaai. v

theneedle selection and conse uently the effect produced in the knitte fabric. For

' example, certain needles may be selected to take a yarn different from or additional to that taken by the other needles so as to produce a pattern, or to change the character of the fabric such, for example, as by stitch variation.

In attern mechanism of this type the rotary evice is usually grooved for the reception of the movable elements which register with the butts of the needles or of sliders associated with the needles, said device being mounted to rotate on an axis disposed obliquely relatively to the needles so that the latter are divided and operated or divided for operation according to the arrangement of the movable elements in the device.

The invention resides mainly in the combination of improved pattern mechanism of the type aforesaid with a double endtoend needle cylinder knitting machine, preferably of the kind having needle cylinders rotatable within stationary cam boxes as is described 'for example in British Patent speciiications Nos. 24,290 of 1912 and 15,008 of 1900. The invention is applicable to both revolving and stationary needle cylinder ma.- chines of lthis type, including also those which o rate at one time with rotary motion an at another time with oscillating motion such, for example, as for the purpose of making heels and toes in the production of seamless hosiery.

The invention is illustrated as carried into practice in a superposed rotary cylinder machine e uipped with double-ended independent slidlable needles transferable from one cylinder to the other, in the manner fully set forth in the aforesaid specification No. 15,008 of 1900, i. e. to change the character of the fabric produced e. g. to change from plain to rib or plain to purl and vice versa.

Actually in the embodiment illustrated the invention is adapted to the production of url fabric wherein, as is well known, interooping is effected so that in certain, e. g. alternate, courses all the loops are thrown to one side of the fabric while in the remaining courses some or all of the loops are thrown 2A i seme-r to the opposite side of the fabric, the object lof this embodiment being to produce patterns in great variety by means of. purl stitches, but obviously my invention 1s not limited lto-this particular purpose.

Referring to the drawings, the lmachine has upper and lower cylinders 1 land 2 in i which operate double-ended needles 3 and sliders 4 by means of which desired needles can be transferred from one cylinder to the other according to pattern requirements, it being understood that needles are transferred from the lower to the upper cylinder to produce the purl stitches.

The needles are selected for transference to the upper cylinder by pattern mechanism, which, referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 7, includes a rotary needle selecting device comprising a cylinder or sleeve 5 formed with longitudinal rooves 6 in which needle actuating jacks 7 igure 6) are pivotally mounted. Convemently for this purpose the lower ends 7 a of the jacks are rounded and are fulcrumedy between the correend of thebush 9 is a gear or pinion 14 adapted to mesh with a gear ring 15 (Figure 5) on the needle c linder (when this is rotatable) whereb t e rotary device is positively driven. Jac s having various numbers of butts 16 thereon, are inserted in the cylinder or sleeve according to the pattern required. The jack illustrated in Figure 6, has twelve 45' butts 16 thereon, this being a convenient maximumnumber, while others in the series may have any number of butts less than twelve and moreover such butts may be spaced differently, see, for example, the jacks designated 7b and 7 c in Figure 10. Thus with a full complement of Jacks v suitably, prearranged in the cylinder ,twelve different cir-l cumferential rows or series of butts' will be provided. Obviously the maximum number of butts employed on any one or more of the jacks may be more or less than twelve according to requirements; for example the numbery may be as many as twent For needle actuation each jack 7 is provided at its upper end with a bit 17 which, whenin the operative position, is adapted to'engage with the upper butt 4a ofv acorrespondlng slider 4 in the lower cylinder, as shown in Figure 5, to lift the latter so that its lower butt 4b is broughtinto engagement with a cam 18 in the lower cam box 19 (see also Figure 11). The cam box is cut away at 19a to allow of `the engagement of the bitsy 17 with the sliders.

In effect the rotary needle selecting device imparts to each of the selected sliders the major art of the usual transferring movement, t is movement being completed by the cam 18 so that it is rendered substantially exact. The corresponding sliders in the upper cylinder of course` receive the needles to be transferred and the .remainder of the transferring action including the disengagement from and engagement of the needles with the respective sliders is effected substantially in the manner set forth in the aforesaid British specification-No. 15,008 of 1900,

and need not therefore be described in detail herein. For purl. knitting the machine has a knitting cam system shown at A, Fig.'11,

in the lower lcam box and knitting cam systems shown at B in the upper and lower cam boxes respectively, the cam systems at A and B being disposed at diametrically opposite points 1n the machine. Prior to selection of the sliders in the lower cylinder all the needles knit plain stitches at A. The needles selected and transferred to the upper cylinder as aforesaid are caused to knit purl stitches at B by the cams 20, 21 and 22 inthe upper cam box 23, while the remaining needles are caused to knit plain stitches by the cam 23a. The needles in the upper cylinder are then transferred back to the lower cylinder by a transfer cam 25 so that all the needles are again caused to knit a plain course at A by the cams 26 and 27. A further selection by the patterning means is then effected and the operation is repeated. In this way `plain courses are knitted alternately with.

courses containing both plain and purl stitches.

The operative arrangement of the jacks 7 is varied by pressing selected jacks inwards in the grooves 6 by means of lever cams 27 corresponding innumber to the maximum number of butts per jack determined upon, and fulcrumed one above another upon a pin 28 obliquely disposed, parallel to the axle 10, in

arms 29 of a bracket 30 carried by the bracket 11 (see Figure 4). The free ends of these levers are, of course, shaped to act upon the butts 16 in the required manner when moved into the operative position, every jack being moved inwards to the `same extent, for which purpose the butts are graduated in length as shown. Conveniently the cams are located in grooves 31 in a block 32 attached to the arms 29, and are thereby maintained in register with the corresponding butts. The cams are normally held out ofthe path of the butts. by springs 33 shown in Figure 7. A racking Vdrum 34 is disposed adjacent to and parallel with the series of cams so that the opposing sides or edges of the latter press upon the surrace of the drum under thel action of the springs.

The drum is mounted upon an axle obliquely disposed in the bracket 11, and has ratchet teeth 36 at the upper end thereof which' are engaged by a pawl 37 fulcrumed upon a lever 38 and controlled by a sprin 39. The lever 38 is pinned on the upper en of the axle 35. The drum is provided with circumferential rows of holes 40, corresponding with the Alever cams 27, for the reception, in prearranged manner, of pegs or pins 41 whereby the lever cams are rendered operative as required during the rotation of the drum. The pegs or pins 41 are pushed into the holes 40. It will be understood that where a pin or pegengages a cam the latter is moved into the path of the corresponding series of jack butts and the jacks thereby selected are pressed inwards with the result aforesaid.

Obviously the selection eii'ected in successive revolutions of the needle selecting device is dependent upon the prearrangement of the pegs or pins in the racking drum, which can be varied very extensively, and the number and circumferential location of the butts invarious circumferential rows, which can also be extensively varied, so that pattern effects in considerable varietyT and extending over a considerablearea before repetition can be produced, as will be readily perceived by those skilled in the art. The pawl37 is actuated by oscillating the axle 35, the latter being turned in one direction, i. e. to advance the drum, by a cam 42 attached to the lower needle cylinder crown wheel 43. For this purpose the axle has fast thereon a lever 44 which is engaged by a screw 45 carried by an arm 46 on the upper end of a vertical spindle ffl 47 carried in a bearing 48" on the machine bed 12. rlie spindle 47 has fast on its'lower end a further arm 49 fitted with a sprin pressed poppet or plunger 50 (Fi ure 3 which is acted upon, whenv require by a spring controlled lever 51 fulcrume on a pin 52 in the bed 12 and actuated by the aforesaid cam 42. y Y

The lever 51 is thus actuated at every revolution of the needle cylinders, and when the drum 34 is to be rotated the poppet or plunger 50 is pressed out from the arm 49 for contact with the lever51 by a att/ern controlled bell-crank lever 53 pivota y carried by the spindle 47 and a link 54. ovement of the link 54 in the direction of the arrow a in Figure 2 causes the lever 53to depress the pin, as represented in Fi re 1, said lever being bevelled at 55 (Figure 3i for this purpose. Upon movement of the link in Vthve opposite direction the poppet or plunger is freed, and consequently rotation of the drum and the selective-action engendered thereby is arrested. Thus by suitably controlling the action of the lever 53 the selective action may be carried on continuously or. intermittently j one side or the other of a wide track 57, see Figs. 4 and 7, forme in a stationary cap or cover 58 mounted above the cylinder or sleeve 5 on the axle l0. A cam `59 Fig. 8 is iixed on the cap or cover 58 slightly in advance of the selecting cams 27 for engagement with the butts 56 whereby jacks reviously rendered inoperative, i. c. pushed) to the inside of the Groove or track 57, are restored to the operative position af er the actuation of the needles and prior to further selection. A few of the jacks 7 have longer butts than the others (see the butt 56a in igure 4) and are arranged for engagement y a cam 60 interposed between the pro- 'ecting cam 59 and the selectin cams 27.

cans are provided for pushing t is cam inwards just prior to the operative movement of any one of the cams 27. The object of this is to avoid the possibility of any of the jacks being only partially moved by the corres nding selecting cam as the latter is renered operative and thus acting upon a needle slider when not required. Conveniently the cam 60 is carried by a plate 61 pivotally mounted at 62 on the cover 58 and normally held inoperative, by a spring 63. The cam 60v is rendered active momentaril at each revolution of the needle cylinders y a lever cam 64 fixed on the axle 35 so as to engage a roll 65 on the pla-te 61, the arrangement being such that, upon initial operative movement of said axle, the lever cam 64 acts upon the roll and ushes the plate inwards, as shown. To ena'b e such inward movement to take place before the operative movement of the selecting cam, the pawl 37 has a certain amount of lost motion at each stroke before actuating the drum. In Figure 7 we have shown the paw137 about to actuate the drum, i. e. as having moved through the idle part of its stroke to render the lever cam 64 op'- erative to position the cam 60 for engage ment with the butts 56a. -The lever cam 64 has a concentric edge 64a which engages the los roll 65 after the required movement of the late 62 so that the latter is not actuated rther during the operative, i. e. remaining movement of the pawl. It will be understood that the cam 60 returns to its inactive position u n the reverse stroke of thepawl,

cap or cover 58, as illustrated in Figure 9,

instead ofthe wide groove 57. The continuity of the grooves or tracks 66 and 67 is interrupted opposite to the selecting cams so as to enable all of the jacks to be moved in and out as aforesaid.

A spring controlled detent 68 may be progrooved dial or wheel 0 and normally pressed upwards therein by suitable springs. Conveniently the end of each jack is located between ridges 71 or the like formed respectiveon the wheel and on a ring 72 attached l thereto, and a blade or like spring 73 is provided between the lower edge of the jack and the bottom of the corresponding. groove 74. The jacks are provided with different numbers of butts 16a ontheir upper edges so that concentric rows or series of butts are provided for the action of selecting cams thereon in likemanner to that already described. When inoperative the said jacks occupy a retracted position in which their upward movement under the action ot the springs is limited by the engagement of the bits 17a: with a peripheral anged ring 7 5 on the wheel. A butt 76, provided on the lower edge of each jack, extends through a slot 7 7 in the bottom of the groove for engagement, when required, with a cam track or groove 78 formed between fixed plates 7 9 disposed below the wheel on a stationary bed 80. The selecting cams 27a are arranged parallel with the surface of the wheel and the racking drum 34a is correspondingly disposed relatively to the cams. When any one ofthe selecting cams is rendered operative by the racking drum it acts on the opposing butts, thereby pressing the corresponding jacks inwards transverselv to vtheir grooves so that the lower butts t ereon enter the aforesaid cam track or groove 7 8 which is designed to push the said jacks radially outwards to project the bits 17 a at an appropriate pointrelatively to the needles for action on the latter following the selection. w

As the jacks 7 d are depressed the bits 17 a move clear of the flanged ring 7 5 so as to pass under the lower edge of the same when projected. Subsequently to the action of the bits on the needles the jacks are withdrawn by the cam track or groove-78 whereupon they rise to the operative, position, under the action of the sprin ready for further selection.

The w eel is keyed on an obliquely disposed axle 10a which rotates in a bearing 81 and is driven in the manner already described-herein, and the controlling drum, provided with holes 40a and ins or pegs 41a prearranged therein, is rac ed round as required lby means similar to those hereinbefore set forth except in so far as such means .re uire ,modification to suitl the different posltion of the drum, which, as shown,

is inclined to the horizontal instead ofthe vertical as in the previous arrangement. The bed 80 is attached to the bearing 81 and a ball thrust washer 82 -is interposed between the bearing and the wheel.

According to a further modification shown in Figure 9, the jack 7e and bit 17b are formed separately but, when in use, are interengaged. For this purpose each bit 176 has a notch 83 in its lower edge Whichthe rounded end of the jack enters. The bits 17?) are adapted to slide in radial grooves 84 in a ring or dial 85 carried on the upper end of the cylinder or sleeve 5a, said grooves 84 corresponding with the longitudinal grooves 6a in the cylinder or sleeve. The cylinder or sleeve is mounted on an obliquely disposed axle 10b in precisely the same manner as in.

the. arrangement described with reference to Figures. 1 to 6, and each bit is furnished on its upper edge with a butt 56?) which, according to the selection, works in one or the other of the aforesaid grooves or tracks 66 or 67' in the cap or cover 58. The cap or cover is mounted above the dial on a bush or sleeve 86 on the axle 10b, and it may be rotatably ad'nstable thereon to enable it to be sot correct y. The cap or cover may also be raised on the bush or sleeve to permit ofinsertion and removal of the bits.

As will be readily understood the invention may be employed for producing patterns other than by purl knitting. For example,-I may carry the invention into practice in a machine of the double cylinder type designed to produce rib fabric for selecting plain needles to function for patterning purposes while remaining in the plain cylinder.

-Moreover the invention is not to be limited to the precise details of construction herein described as these may be varied without departing from the scope ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim then is l. A circular knitting machine having coaxially opposed needle cylinders, a seriesof independent slidable double-ended needles, a series of sliders operable for transferring desired nc'edles'from one cylinder to the other llO to var vfthecharacter of the knitted fabric, a

pendent slidable double-ended needles, a series'of sliders operable for transferring desired needles from one cylinder to the other to vary the character of the knitted fabric, a rotary patterning member, a series of movable elements in said member for selecting slides to cause same to transfer their needles, means operativev selectively on the elements in the patterning member for moving said elements w automatically to vary the slider selection, and means for moving said elements into position for selection. A 3. A circular knitting machine having superposed needle cylinders, a series of independent slidable double-ended needles, a

series of sliders operable for transferring desired needles from one cylinder to the other to vary the character of the knittedl fabric, a rotary member, a series of movable elements in said member for selecting sliders to cause same to transfer their needles, said elements having different butt formations, means to position the movable elements for selection, a series of cams operative selectively on said butts, and means for selecting the cams to move selected elements automatically for varying the slider selection.

4. A circular knitting machine -having superposed needle cylinders, a series of inde- I $0 pendent slidable double-ended needles, a

- series of sliders operable for transferring desired needles from one cylinder to the other to vary the character of the knitted fabric, a

rotary member, a series of movable elements 85 in said member for selecting sliders to cause same to transfer their needles. said elements having different butt formations, means to position the movable elements for selection, a series of cams operative selectively on said M butts, a pattern member for selecting the cams to move selected elements automatically for varying the slider selection, and means for imparting intermittent movement to said patf tern member.

5. A circularl knitting machine having superposed needle cylinders, a series of independent slidable-double-ended needles, a series of sliders operable for transferring desired needles from one cylinder to the other to vary the character of the knitted fabric. a grooved member rotatable upon an obliquely disposed axis, a series of elements movable into and out of operative position in the grooves in said member for selecting sliders to cause same to transfer their needles, said elements having different butt formations, v means to position the vmovable elements for selection. and means operative selectively upon said butts for re-positioning the movable elements automatically to effect correspondingly different slider selections'.

6. A circular knitting machine havingv superposed needle cylinders, a series of independent slidable double-ended needles, a e5 series of sliders operable for transferring de sired needles from one cylinder to the other to vary thecharacter of the knitted fabric, a ooved member rotatable upon an obliquely sposed axis, a series of elements movable pivotally in the grooves for selecting sliders to cause same to transfer their needles, said elements having different butt formations, means to position the pivoted elements out wardly in the grooves, and means operative selectively upon said butts for moving selected elements inwards automatically to effect correspondingly different slider selections.

' 7 A circular knitting machine having superposed needle cylinders, a series of in dependent slidable double-ended needles, a series of sliders operable to transfer desired needles from one cylinder in which they form plain loops to the other cylinder in which they form purl loops, a rotary patterning de- 85 vice, a series of movable elements in said device for selective action on the sliders in the plain cylinder to cause some to transfer their needles to form purl loops' and, means operative selectively upon the elements in the patterning device for moving said elements automatically to vary the slider selection.

8. A circular -knitting machine having superposed needle cylinders, a series of independent slidable double-ended needles, a series of sliders 'operable to transfer desired needles from one cylinder to the other, upper and lower cam systems respectively operative to cause needles in the upper cylinder to form purl loops and needles in the lower cylinder to form plain loops, a rotar ,member, a series of elements in said mem er for selective action upon the sliders in the lower cylinder to cause same to transfer their needles to the upper cylinder to form purl loops, said elements aving different butt formations, means for moving said elements into position or selecion, means o erative selectively on said butts for rfa-positioning the movable elements automatically to vary the slider selection, and means for transferring the needles inl the upper c linder to the lower cylinder following the fhrmation of the purl loops.

. 9. A circular knitting machine having superposed needle' cylinders, a series of independent slidable double-ended needles, a series of sliders operable to transfer desired needles from one cylinder to the other, upper and lower cam system respectively operative to cause needles in the upper cylinder to form purl loops and needles in the lower cylinder to form plain loops, a grooved member rotatable upon an obliquely disposed axis, a series of elements movable pivotally in the grooves in said member for selecting sliders in the lower cylinder to cause same to transfer their needles to the upper cylinder, said elements having different butt formations, means for positioning said elements outwards in the grooves for selection, means operative 130 selectively upon said butts for moving selected elements mwards automatically to correspondingly vary the slider selection,l and means for transferringvneedles in the uv per 5 cylinder back to the lower cylinder, fo owinxthe formation of purlloops.

testimony whereof I alix m si ature. ERNEST P RS. 

